Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Eating Disorder NOS) is the most common category of eating disorder. This DSM IV TR designation applies to those that do not meet all of the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa but still have significant symptoms and related problems. An example of a problem with the narrower definitions was that amenorrhea had to be present in order to diagnose Anorexia Nervosa. (Grilo, Sinha, O’Malley, 2002)
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is contained within the Eating Disorder NOS category and involves repeated episodes of binge eating. The criteria is an “average of 2 days with binge episodes per week over a 6-month period; marked distress exists because of the binge eating” (Grilo, Sinha, O’Malley, 2002)
In the DSM IV TR, Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified contains the following:
For females, all of the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa (AN) are met except that the individual has regular menses.
All of the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa are met except that, despite significant weight loss, the individual’s current weight is in the normal range.
All of the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa (BN) are met except that the binge eating and inappropriate compensatory mechanisms occur at a frequency of less than twice a week or for a duration of less than 3 months.
The regular use of inappropriate compensatory behavior by an individual of normal body weight after eating small amounts of food (e.g., self-induced vomiting after the consumption of two cookies)
Repeatedly chewing and spitting out, but not swallowing, large amounts of food.
Binge-eating disorder: recurrent episodes of binge eating in the absence of the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors characteristic of Bulimia Nervosa
Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Eating Disorder NOS) is the most common category of eating disorder. This DSM IV TR designation applies to those that do not meet all of the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa but still have significant symptoms and related problems. An example of a problem with the narrower definitions was that amenorrhea had to be present in order to diagnose Anorexia Nervosa. (Grilo, Sinha, O’Malley, 2002)
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is contained within the Eating Disorder NOS category and involves repeated episodes of binge eating. The criteria is an “average of 2 days with binge episodes per week over a 6-month period; marked distress exists because of the binge eating” (Grilo, Sinha, O’Malley, 2002)
In the DSM IV TR, Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified contains the following:
(DSM IV TR, 2000 pp. 594-595)